Sao Tome, March 27, 2026 (Lusa) - The government of Sao Tome and Principe has announced that "defence and security forces are on the ground to prevent and guarantee the maintenance of public order" after locals set up barricades to demand road improvements.
“While public protests and demands are part of democracy, using barricades, blocking public roads and other means that threaten public order and citizen security do not fit legal mechanisms of civic expression and constitute a crime punishable under the penal code,” the justice minister said while reading the cabinet meeting statement on Thursday.
A government member read the cabinet meeting statement in the presence of most cabinet members on Thursday, marking the first time this has happened since the government took office in January 2025.
“The government firmly condemns any attempt to create social instability or disrupt the country's normal functioning; it will identify and hold accountable all those responsible for acts that violate the law," she said.
The cabinet urged people “not to join illegal practices or contribute to actions that compromise social peace”. It asked for serenity, civility and “respect for state institutions, reaffirming that peace, stability and the rule of law belong to all Sao Tomeans”.
The government said “authorities are investigating the origin and motivations of these actions, including links to organised interests aiming to destabilise the country”. It added that “there are worrying signs of informal funding to sustain these practices, which it will strictly investigate”.
Security forces are on the ground to prevent unrest and maintain public order while respecting fundamental rights, the government said.
People from several communities on Sao Tome island built barricades to demand repairs to roads degraded for years, but police suppressed them, firing shots into the air and making arrests.
Protests began on Tuesday, mainly in the districts of Lobata and Mé-Zóchi, specifically in the communities of Boa Entrada, Changara and Madalena. They repeated in Bobo-Forro early on Friday.
“We built the barricade because of the road's bad condition. The road is terrible," one protester said, noting it was the fourth time they had protested to demand repairs to the road between Bôbo-Fôrro and Madalena, in the Lobata district.
In previous years, the government promised to resume repair work after protests, but it stopped after a few jobs.
The protest in Bôbo-Fôrro continued throughout the morning. After reinforcements from the Rapid Intervention Police and the armed forces arrived, they dispersed the crowd, removed burnt tyres and objects used to block traffic.
The executive director of the National Road Institute (INAE) and former infrastructure minister promised to resume work in some areas.
“The government is committed to mobilising resources to complete roadworks this year,” he said.
JYAF/LYT // AYLS
Lusa
